A PUB has been forced to close its doors from 7pm tonight (February 29th) after police made an emergency application for an interim order under the Licensing Act.

Councillors on Bexley Council's licensing sub-committee granted the application by Bexley police to shut down Infernos in Bellegrove Road, Welling, after hearing evidence about drug dealing at the establishment.

The order will be in place for 28 days or until a review hearing of the premises licence is held, probably on March 26.

The application, made by the police's licensing officer PC Eddy Boston, alleged Class A drugs had been found in the private quarters above the pub.

Julie Defries, representing both the owners of the pub, Barter Inns, and the licensee, said the designated premises supervisor for the pub had been sacked that day.

PC Boston also gave evidence that staff had complained about drug dealing on the premises and that they been approached regularly by customers asking about the availability of drugs.

He told the sub-committee that residue from drugs had been found in the pub's toilets.

Sub-committee chairman Cllr Mike Slaughter, said the 28-day order would give the licence holder time to put a package of measures in place to deal with the situation and to break the cycle of people using or dealing drugs on the premises.